MMA fighters say on a regular basis that they’re prepared to die within the cage so as to really feel the spirit of victory, however UFC middleweight champ Dricus du Plessis says he’s prepared to take issues a lot additional than that.
Du Plessis defends his title this Saturday in the primary occasion of UFC 312 in a rematch in opposition to Sean Strickland in Sydney, Australia. Forward of most fights, Strickland guarantees the followers that he’s prepared to ship and take brutality within the octagon, however in a latest interview forward of the combat, du Plessis revealed a bone-chilling fact about his in-fight mentality.
“After I go in there, if the ref doesn’t cease it, I’m not stopping,” du Plessis informed Mark Bouris. “I will be sitting on you for 10 minutes bashing your face and if the ref doesn’t say cease, I’m not stopping.
“That’s the query that me, as a modern-day gladiator has to ask myself: Am I nonetheless prepared to die? Completely. That’s straightforward. It’s, are you prepared to kill a person in entrance of his household? Sure, I’m, and that’s why I’m the world champion, as a result of I say sure to that query each single time.
“However that’s Dricus ‘Stillknocks’ du Plessis, that’s not Dricus the man that you simply see proper right here.”
Of their first assembly just a little over a 12 months in the past, du Plessis defeated Strickland to seize his first world title by way of cut up choice at UFC 297. “Stillknocks” efficiently defended the belt by stopping Israel Adesanya in August at UFC 305, whereas Strickland earned the rematch with a call win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302 in June.
Strickland already laid out a problem to du Plessis to have an all-standup combat which garnered some headlines. Du Plessis was puzzled by that, since he feels he gave Strickland what he requested for 13 months in the past.
“That was precisely what we did the final time,” du Plessis mentioned. “He mentioned, ‘To demise, let’s go, ‘let’s combat to demise,’ and the person threw a jab and a teep for 5 rounds. And this can be a stat, you may test it, for 23 minutes I went ahead, he went ahead for 2 minutes.
“That may be a very clear indication of who’s there to combat, and who’s there to defend. He’s not banging, and pay attention, very efficient model. That’s his model, however let’s not go and act as if Sean Strickland fights are entertaining. The person has eight cut up choices — six victories, two losses in opposition to me and Cannonier. That isn’t anyone who’s searching for an thrilling combat.”
